Amazon today updated its Kindle app significantly for the first time in quite a while. The app is receiving a new design with tweaked layouts, new options, and better social integration.
For instance, the layout of the app has been shifted slightly to make it eaiser for readers to find their books. A new option for a light or dark theme is also present for those who like greater customization. Finally, a redesigned app icon representing Amazon’s “Tree Kid” logo has also been added.
Amazon is also including a new “One-Tap Access” feature that places the current book your reading on the bottom navigation bar so you can jump back in at any moment after looking around the app. Amazon says the bottom bar “also provides quick access to Kindle’s most popular features allowing you to switch between the pages of your book, your library, your personal bookstore, and more.”
“We’ve built the new Kindle app from the ground up for book lovers, giving readers easy access to everything they might want to do with their books, all in one place,” said Chuck Moore, Vice President, Kindle. “It’s now easier than ever to turn your phone or tablet into a book and immerse yourself in an author’s world at any time.”
As for social integration, Amazon’s Goodreads social network is now getting better placement in the app thanks to a new Community tab. It lets you stay updated on what your friends are reading and sharing, post notes and highlights from books you’ve read, and follow different authors and reviewers. We’ve never really seen Amazon push Goodreads like this in their mobile apps so it’s nice to see it finally arrive in the Kindle app.
“For as long as there have been books, people have discussed them with friends,” said Otis Chandler, CEO and co-founder of Goodreads. “When you finish an amazing book, you can’t wait to find out if other readers feel the same way. Readers trust their friends for recommendations, with around half of them saying they discover books through word-of-mouth. With the new features on Kindle, connecting with your friends and similar readers in the Goodreads community is now built into the app.”
The all-new Kindle app is rolling out now to both iOS and Android users. Goodreads integration remains exclusive to iOS for now, with Android users gaining the feature at some point in the future.
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